2 Royal Scions pass away

[~Legend~]

December 2013:

The erstwhile kingdoms of Travancore and Mysore said their final words as their 2 kings departed.

On the 10th of December Maharaja Srikanta Wadiyar of Mysore died - a part of a dynasty which can trace its lineage back to 1399.

"The state plunged into gloom on Tues­day when the revered scion of the Mysore royal family, Srik­a­n­tadatta Narsimh­araja Wad­iyar, and the last member of the Mysore Yadu vamsha that traces its lineage back to 1399, passed away at a city hospital Tuesday afternoon, after he suffered a major cardiac arrest."

"Stunned by the sudden demise of the scion of the Mysore royal family, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar,  the city  decided to voluntarily shut down on Wednesday to mourn the last of its kings, who had ruled  between 1399 and 1950. A man of many interests  the 60 -year- old Wadiyar  was  not only a four term Member of Parliament, but also a known philanthropist, fashion designer,  animal lover, a great patron of the arts and a promoter of  Mysore silks."

"The only son of Jayachama­rajendra Wadiyar, the last ruling Maharaja of Mysore and his second wife, Tripura Sundari Ammani Avaru, he succeeded his father as head of the royal family in 1974 when  only 21. Survived by his wife, Maharani Pramoda Devi Avaru, he leaves behind no heirs as the couple had no children, something which old-timers often blamed on the 400 -year-old “Talakad curse.”



The 16th of December brought a further blow as news spread that Maharaja Uthradom Thirunal of Travancore had passed away, at the age of 91; a revered king and friend of the people.

"Thousands of people paid their last tribute to Travancore Royal family titular head Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma at the Levy Hall close to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple here on Monday and after 2.30 pm at the Kowdiar Palace. Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma died at 2.20 am due to age-related ailments on Monday. He was admitted to the SUT Hospital on Dec 6 following gastro-intestinal bleeding and was on ventilator support. He was the younger brother of the last ruling monarch of the Travancore Kingdom Maharajah Chitra Thirunal Rama Varma."

"The state government declared a public holiday as a mark of respect to the late Maharajah. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who was in Delhi for official work has planned to cut short his trip to attend his funeral here at the palace in the afternoon, though delayed he is expected to take part in the cremation."

"An epitome of kindness and simplicity...
He was known for his varied talents from being an ardent lover of photography to keen sportsman as he used to play tennis, hockey, golf, football and polo."



Ceremonial gun salutes have been carried out and statue funerals ordained.
The kings' heirs are likely to be crowned in the coming days.

[~Legend~]

The untimely death of the king of Mysore has brought the 600 year old dynasty to an almost abrupt end.
Without any immediate heirs, the erstwhile kingdom is seeking a new maharaja to continue its royal bloodline.

"The death of the king has plunged old Mysore region of Karnataka into mourning. The Yadu dynasty had ruled Mysore kingdom for nearly 550 years between 1399-1947. It was considered one of the longest reigning monarchies in the world during those days. The people were expecting the king to choose his successor. But, his sudden death has put question marks over the survival of 600 years old royal family. According to Mysore palace sources, Wodeyar had almost made up his mind on succession before he died. They say his nephew (sister's son) Chaduranga Kantharaja Urs who performed the last rites of Wodeyar on Wednesday will succeed him as the head of the Mysore royal family.

The royal family still controls a lot of temples and other religious institutions in and around Mysore. They also preside over the Dasara celebrations, which is a state festival. The family owns thousands of acres of land and palaces worth several thousand crores in Mysore and Bangalore. The 650 acre Bangalore Palace grounds and the Windsor Palace in Bangalore also belong to the family. Wodeyar was fighting a lengthy legal battle over the control of some his properties. His wife Queen Pramoda Devi Wodeyar maintains a very low profile and is not familiar with legal matters. She would rarely appear in the public when her husband was alive.

The mourning old Mysore region is now is pinning its hopes on the Queen Pramoda Devi Wodeyar. They are optimistic that she will respect the sentiments of the people and appoint a successor to her deceased husband."

[~Legend~]

3rd January: Moolam Thirunal anointed and installed as the new Maharaja of Travancore.

[~Legend~]

A modern reference to these latter day dominions...



In the above Assassin's Creed tale, there are a bunch of references to (and appearances by) the rulers of the Sikh Empire; previous northern counterparts of today's kings.